REGINA - The United Food and Commercial Workers have lost a battle in their long and ongoing fight to unionize at a Walmart in Weyburn, Sask.

On Monday, the three judges of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal unanimously decided to dismiss the union's appeal regarding decisions by the Saskatchewan Labour Board on the union's accusations of unfair labour practices.

At the same time, the high court upheld a cross-appeal by Walmart, restoring the labour board's ruling in its entirety.

That means that an application to decertify the union will proceed and votes cast by store employees will be counted.

The union first applied for certification in 2004. The application was granted in 2008 but was overtuned in Court of Queen's Bench the following year.

In 2010, the appeal court upheld the certification.

That same year, a decertification vote was held but the votes were not counted pending the outcome of legal challenges.